Jordan Skellett, Josh Shalla and Ivan Telegin form formidable line for Saginaw Spirit

Chris Fryer | The Saginaw NewsIvan Telegin, left, and Josh Shalla have teamed with Jordan Skellett to give the Saginaw Spirit one of the top lines in the OHL.

It all started in Ottawa.

Before his team’s Sunday afternoon game against the 67’s late last month, Spirit head coach Todd Watson was putting together his lines, trying to decide where to put his newest star, Ivan Telegin.

Veteran center Tyler Murovich had returned from AHL training camp six games ago, giving the team three true centers. Telegin had been moved from center to wing to accommodate, but had yet to find a line where he fit in well.

So before that game, center Jordan Skellett suggested to his coach that Telegin be added his own line along with winger Josh Shalla.

“I just said I’m a playmaker type player, he’s a goal scorer,” Skellett recalled telling Watson. “It would probably work out quite well.”

It has. The Spirit won their next six games, during which the trio contributed a total of 31 points, an average of more than five per game. Telegin had seven goals during the streak, while Skellett had 10 assists.

And they have yet to slow down. After Saturday’s game, all three have at least 30 points through 25 games this season. The three lead the team in that category, and account for 36 percent of the Spirit’s offense.

The Spirit will be in action in a pair of home games this weekend, tonight against Kingston and tomorrow against Peterborough, both at 7:11 p.m. at The Dow Event Center’s Wendler Arena.

There, the Shalla-Skellett-Telegin line will be on display, as they lead the league’s third most productive offense.

“I think we’ve been one of the most productive lines in the OHL,” Skellett said, noting that all three are in the top 15 in the league in points.

And they have shown they have the ability to take over games, like last Wednesday against Owen Sound. After the Spirit fell behind by three goals early, the line had a hand in three goals to lead Saginaw back from the deficit to a 5-3 lead. And when Owen Sound tied the game up, the top line was on the ice for both of the Spirit’s final two goals to seal the win.

Their production can make for a cluttered box score, especially since they were consecutive numbers; Skellett wears 23, Telegin 24 and Shalla 25.

In the Owen Sound game, Shalla scored two goals, both from Skellett. Telegin scored a goal from Shalla, and both Shalla and Telegin assisted defenseman Ryan O’Connor’s game-winning goal. The three finished with a combined 11 points and were cumulative a plus-eight for the game.

“The stats in the game show directly what our strengths are,” Skellett said.

The three joined the line, and this year’s Spirit team, from varying backgrounds. Shalla was traded to Saginaw in June, joining his third OHL team in as many years. He has said that in years past, he struggled for ice time and a chance to prove himself in the league. He’s had that chance in Saginaw, and less than halfway through this season is far ahead of his two-year totals.

Telegin, a Russian native selected in the second round of the import draft, came into Saginaw highly touted and hasn’t disappointed. He’s been ranked among the top-10 OHL skaters eligible for next year’s NHL Draft, and has put together a strong early season resume for Rookie of the Year.

Skellett, an undrafted overage player in his fifth OHL season, is the only one of the three who was a member of the Spirit last year. In his final year in the league, he’s playing for a professional opportunity next season, and has bolstered that chance by leading the league in assists.

“It’s kind of good because both of them are on a fresh start, so they don’t really know much else,” Skellett said. “I didn’t expect us three to be clicking so well at the start of the year. When you have a good thing, keep going with it.”

The only hurdle for the three has been the language barrier. Telegin arrived in the United States from Russia just before the season started with no knowledge of English. That’s led to plenty of hand gestures and diagramming on whiteboards between the three.